Live for Him
by Gamja the Wolf's Fang
Summary: Miroku sacrificed himself at the final battle to save everyone...and Kagome writes a letter to her friend to cheer her up. MS pairing


Disclaimers: I do NOT own Inuyasha or any of its characters.  
  
Hello folks! This is just a one shotter with some angst and tragedy.  
  
Summary: Miroku's been killed in the final battle, and Sango goes into depression. To cheer her friend up, Kagome writes Sango a letter...  
  
""= Speech  
  
''= Thoughts  
  
##= Asterisks  
  
#  
#  
#  
#  
The gloom of Kaede's hut enveloped Sango like a cloak as her tears steamed down her face.   
  
It had been several days since the fall of Naraku...and of Miroku.  
  
-Flashback to the battle-  
  
The fight wasn't going well. Even powered by hatred and anger, the Inu-gumi couldn't penetrate Naraku's seemingly invincible barrier, let alone Naraku himself.  
  
"Oi, Naraku!" shouted Inuyasha, eyes blazing. "Why don't you stop hiding behind that barrier like a coward and fight?"  
  
"Heh heh heh, because, Inuyasha, a hanyou like you isn't worth it. Now be silent and die." He shot more tentacles at lightning speed at the group.  
  
Everyone knew that they couldn't keep this up for long. They had to get through that barrier somehow...  
  
Miroku observed as Kagome fired one of her purity arrows (in vain) at the looming Naraku, hoping to draw his attention away from Inuyasha. Seeing the holy power reminded him of what his father said to him a long time ago...  
  
'Remember son, the light defeats the darkness...'  
  
Yes...that was it. The only way to defeat Naraku, or at least remove his barrier, is to use a holy attack of immense power...  
  
But where would he find and effectively use such power without risking someone's life?   
  
He couldn't.   
  
He knew this would be suicide. But he was ready to give his life for the four people he cared about the most.  
  
"Kagome-sama!"  
  
"Hai, Miroku-sama?"  
  
"I have an idea to take down Naraku's barrier! Bless my shakujou with your holy power!"  
  
"Nani?!"  
  
"Onegai! It's the only way!"  
  
"A-alright then..."  
  
She laid her soft hands on the staff and concentrated. A flash of pink light later, the immense holy power thrummed into existence inside Miroku's staff.   
  
'Now...to find an opening...'  
  
He steadily moved closer and closer to Naraku, dodging tentacles while doing so. Left, right, left, right, duck to avoid becoming monk-kabob...   
  
'Come on...just a little more...'  
  
He dodged to the right and grabbed hold to the serrated appendage as it retreated back to its point of origin. Miroku did his best to ignore the pain in his left hand.  
  
"Miroku! What the f### do you think you're doing you baka?!"  
  
"Houshi-sama! Yamero!"  
  
"Miroku-sama!"  
  
"Miroku! Don't!"  
  
Miroku flashed one last Miroku smile to his loved ones before staff met barrier.  
  
#CRASH!# Energy danced and flashed outwards as the light met the dark.  
  
'Remember, my son, to defeat the dark....you must strengthen the light.'  
  
Miroku gave one last smile before the barrier collapsed. 'I remembered father...and thank you.'  
  
He was thrown slightly backwards as the barrier gave away in a flash of energy. Due to the light, he never saw the spear-headed tentacles that went through his chest like a needle through hot butter.  
  
For a few moments, silence and shock were the only things that screamed on the battlefield as the mortally wounded Miroku quivered and feebly tried to claw the tentacles away from his chest...  
  
-Back to the present-  
  
Afterwards, the rest of the group had wreaked bloody vengeance: After Kagome had shot off the Shikon no Tama, Sango cut off Naraku's tentacles one by one, while Inuyasha cut his body down to size. For the grand finale, Kagome used a spell that would slowly, and excruciatingly, purify Naraku down to the soul. His screams echoed across the field even after his death, a reminder to the evil that fell there.  
  
So Naraku died horribly. But nothing would erase the fact that Miroku was dying.  
  
-Flashback to the aftermath of the battle-  
  
"Houshi-sama! Where are you! Houshi-sama?!"  
  
"Oi! Miroku! Get out here!"  
  
After a few minutes of searching, they found what was left of Miroku underneath a pile of ashes. His chest had been seemingly shredded to the point where the only thing connecting his neck with the rest of the body was a few bits flesh. Yet despite what gruesome horrors he had just gone through, his pale face was calm and...relieved.  
  
"Oh kami, Miroku!" She cradled Miroku's head in her arms and began rocking back and forth on her knees, streams of tears running down her face.   
  
"He didn't even say goodbye..."  
  
-Back to the present-   
  
Miroku was buried near Kaede's hut, his staff forever a reminder to a passerby what he was, and the courage he had to deliver the blow that helped defeat Naraku once and for all.  
  
Kohaku was later found, dazed, in the forest not to far away from the battlefield. He had remembered the horrible deeds he had done on that fateful day at the castle, but his sister gave him the strength to live on.  
  
Kagura and Kanna, finally free of Naraku's control, roamed across the land, yearning for something yet finding nothing. Rumor has it that they eventually set up a traveler's lodge: with Kanna around, Kagura couldn't fly with the wind as freely as she wanted, so she made up for it by assisting the "flights" of others.  
  
The Shikon no Tama, finally completed, was used to try to revive Miroku...but Midoriko, who's soul lived inside the jewel, stated that it could not: a mere shard could revive a human from death, but as disrupting cycle of life meant bestowing a horrible curse to oneself, the jewel was put to better uses (but not before Sango encouraged Kagome and Inuyasha that it was probably better for Miroku to not be revived).  
  
And so, the journey had ended. But it was difficult to say who suffered the most.  
  
Sango sat in the gloom of Kaede's hut, staring off into nothing while inside, her soul was torn apart by grief. Nothing, not even Kohaku's safe return, could ever return her from the darkness.  
  
Fortunately, her friends were not blind to what was going on. Over the past few days, they had been taking turns trying to cheer the depressed girl up (each with their own varying styles of course), but it was all in vain.   
  
'I promised to myself not to fall in love in anyone because you would get hurt if they left...'  
  
'Heh, and here's what happened when I broke that promise.'   
  
She was a complete mess. Her eyes were red and puffy, her hair was constantly messed up, she hadn't taken a bath in a few days, and eating and drinking were almost out of the question. If she kept this up, she probably would be dead in about four days.  
  
So Kagome tried one last ditch effort to save her friend...  
  
She quietly entered the room, gave Sango a friendly greeting, and left a piece of parchment at Sango's feet. After staring at it for a while, Sango picked it up and began reading the neat writing.  
  
"Dear Sango-chan,'  
  
"I know that you've been hurting for Miroku-sama for the past few days, but that doesn't mean that you should just give up on life. You shouldn't quit now, especially after seeing how far we've all gotten. We all miss him terribly, but we've moved on.   
  
"It's alright if you still love him Sango-chan. But remember, don't die on us: you have plenty of people who would miss you if you died.  
  
"Live for Inuyasha. He once told me that he saw you as a kindred spirit, someone who he felt he shared something in common with. He says that you guys both lost a parent to violence, and you guys are both pretty lonely in this world.  
  
"Live for Shippo. He says that he looks up to you like a brother would to his big sister, and he's always used you as a role model in terms of courage.  
  
"Live for Kirara. Imagine what she would do if you left this world! You were with her since you both were little, weren't you? I've noticed lately that she's been upset that her master and friend hasn't been taking care of herself lately.  
  
"Live for me. You're the best friend a girl could ever have, Sango-chan. You've helped me develop my relationship with Inuyasha, and I think I would have gone nuts by the second year of our journey if you weren't there for me to talk to.  
  
"Live for Kohaku. He still needs his aneue to protect him and guide him. Remember, he's still guilty about what happened at the castle. He needs someone to comfort him from those memories.  
  
"Finally, live for Miroku. He loved you Sango-chan, and he still does now, wherever he is. He wouldn't want you to waste away because of him, right? His sacrifice would be in vain: I'm pretty sure he didn't die just so the girl he loved would waste away to nothing a few days later. Honor his sacrifice by living, Sango-chan.  
  
Love,   
Kagome."  
  
Sango slowly put down the letter and smiled a teary smile. 'They're right,' she thought. 'If I were Miroku, I'd get pretty ticked off if I died trying to save his life then found out that he died a stupid death a few days later.'  
  
She slowly stood up and headed outside to take a refreshing bath.  
  
'I'll live for you, Miroku. Just rest in peace, wherever you are.'  
  
And from the heavens, Miroku smiled, both at the fact that his koi was finally living again and that he could get a free peak with no consequences...  
  
#  
#  
#  
Well, hope you enjoyed it. R&R! 


End file.
